Ulverston restaurant’s revival could be on the menu
Last updated at 16:43, Monday, 04 March 2013
POPULAR Ulverston restaurant Rustique could reopen after it was bought at auction for £130,000.
Ulverston businessman David Diggle bought the property, just off Brogden Street, and said he would love to see it reopen as a restaurant.
Having been brought up in the town, he said it was a shame to see businesses shut down and bringing the restaurant back into use would help boost the area.
And although his background is in engineering – not catering – he plans to look into the possibility of reopening the popular eatery.
Mr Diggle said: “I don’t like to see the town centre deteriorating and I thought it was an ideal building to invest in.
“The ideal thing would be to open it up again and employ a few people from the local area.”
However, he said he is unable to say with any certainty what will happen to the building until the sale is finalised in the coming weeks and he has looked carefully at its viability as a restaurant.
He added: “Like everybody else, I hate to see the town centre dying off and I would very much like to resurrect the restaurant.
“However, I won’t be doing that unless I think it is financially viable. Ulverston is a nice event town and if these things keep closing down there will be no attraction for people to come to Ulverston.”
He said he is considering retiring from his engineering business and sees the property as an ideal investment.
The restaurant proved a hit with the town’s diners during previous owner Jason Bright’s tenure.
However his unannounced departure left people wondering what would become of the property.
Rustique went under the hammer at the Coronation Hall last month, falling just below its £135,000 guide price, after it closed down earlier this year.
At the time, auctioneer Colin West said the property would be an “absolute bargain” if it went for close to that figure.
He said Rustique had a very good reputation and he hoped to see it reinvented as a restaurant.
First published at 16:34, Monday, 04 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
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Yes, I'll book a table!
Posted by Borwick on 4 March 2013 at 17:42